A Business Finance Major’s Favorite Class While Studying Abroad
Going abroad as a Business Finance major, I was skeptical if there would be classes offered that could really replicate or provide the same teachings as my current university. Man, was I wrong. Some of my most impactful and favorite courses I’ve EVER taken in my life were all provided to me through CEA CAPA’s Florence program. This photoset will shed some perspective on a class I was fortunate enough to take while studying abroad in Italy during Fall 2024
This photo is from orientation day at CEA CAPA Florence. They hired tour guides to take us through the city to see famous landmarks and get comfortable with our surroundings.
This photo is from my first day of school outside of the CEA CAPA Building. I had no idea the valuable lessons I was yet to learn last semester.
My favorite view in all of Florence. We’d go up to the Piazzale Michelangelo once a week for the sunset and some dinner. There was always live music being performed, people dancing, and always an unbelievable panoramic of the city.
The Business Consulting class was launched at the Florence program for the first time during my semester abroad and was limited to only about 16 students. We were led by Thomas Brownlees, a marketing consultant and instructor at CEA CAPA. The class was unlike any I’d ever taken. We got to partner with a local Florence startup company called Menáboh Fashion, founded by Gaia Rialti.
This photo is from the student event we hosted at the CEA Campus for Menáboh Fashion. It was to promote the company and the idea of upcycling clothes in the Florence community.
Here is one of Menaboh’s fashion designers making live alterations on a customer at the upcycling event.
Gaia came and presented to our class multiple times, showing us behind the scenes data and numbers that explained the company’s sales and strategies. We were tasked with providing consulting advice to her and her partners that would efficiently increase her revenues, outreach, and presence in the fashion industry.
A photo of one of the clothing displays we set up for the event. There were 4 different displays like this in one of the rooms. In the other rooms, Menáboh’s designers were doing measurements and giving recommendations to customers who brought clothes to be upcycled.
A cooking class was provided to us through CEA CAPA. We got to make pasta from scratch with some of my best friends.
We spent the entire semester doing market research, learning how to think like consultants, and listening to successful business owners regarding what strategies have worked for them. The culmination of the course was a final presentation, where me, along with 3 other classmates, got to present to Gaia, our class, and the entirety of the CEA CAPA directing group on what steps Menáboh should take to grow the company to new heights.
This photo is of me at my daily cafe called “My Bakery”. All the ladies working there were so kind and welcoming. I visited them Monday through Thursday every week for all 15 weeks of the program.
This photo is of myself, my roommate, and our favorite guy in Florence. We visited this pizza shop nearly every day for lunch during our time there. Mateo, the owner, is the man. Such a genuine person and always willing to hook us up with some free food.
Now a few months removed from the program, I still think back to the lessons I learned in that Business Consulting course on a weekly basis. It taught me the importance of doing real research, listening to others, and how to identify traits in owners and in business plans that will lead to future success. I could not be more grateful for Thomas Brownlees, Gaia, and CEA CAPA for giving me the chance to participate in their pilot program.
This Post was written by Troy McCain, a CEA CAPA Alumni Ambassador from Cal Poly, and studied abroad in Florence, Italy.
